Bed



Aug. 25, 1931. L. MILLS 7 1,820,285

' BED Filed Nov. 6, 1930 2 Sheets-Shee Frank [0(3 flz'lls,

Aug. 25, 1931. F. MILLS 1,820,285

BED

Filed Nov. 6, 1930 2 Sheets-She et 2 Patented Au g. 2 5, 193 1;

1 TA-res. PATENT Fmx LOUIS MILLS; or oHIcAeo, *I'L'LmoIs 1 7 Application filed November 6, 1930. Serial no. 493,752; g V 2 thereof which define a shoulder 171onthe arm This invention relates tobe'ds and especially to beds which also maybe'used as stretchers, and the invention is particularly'directed to bedsfor animals, such as'dogs, cats, and

" the like, although'it may also be used in hospitals,'first aid stations, and the like, and the beds will be especially useful in emergency circumstances. 1 p i The salient objects ofthe'inventionare to provide bed which may be arranged in a compact package when not in use; to provide a bedwhich maybe readily set up or taken down; to provide a bed having handle portions thereon readily movable to or from operating position and which may be concealed when not in use; and toprovide a bed embodying a covering which ma'y be readily removed for launderingandthe like'when so desired. v

Selected embodiments'of the inventiona-re illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and therein V I Fig.1 is a perspective view of a bed con structed in accordance with my'invention;

' Fig. 2 is abottom plan View, wherein the legs are broken away, of the bed illustrated inFig'l; a i

Fig. 3 is'asection'al View taken substan tially on the line'3'3 on Fig? 1; Fig; 4' is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-54 on Fig. 3 a 5 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 5- 5911 Fig. 4; p

Fig. 6 is fragmentary plan view of a modified'fo'rm of'constru'ction; Y 7

Fig. 7 is}'a-'secti0nal view, looking in the 1 same direction jas Figf6, of the embodiment 'of'the invention illustrated therein; and Figif8 is 'a secti'onal viewftaken substantially on the line 8'8-on Figxf; 1 r

Thebedfembodyi "g' my invention, as 'il 'lu'strated in Figs. 1" to;5', inclusive, includes rails9, 10, 11 and 12 disposed'in' rectangular formation and" connected at adjacent ends thereof by corner members'13, 14, 15', and 16. 4 The corner dev-ice14 is illustrated in detail v inlTi'gs. 3 and .4 and'by referring thereto it -may beyseeni that this corner member embodies right angular tubular arms 15 and 16 having reduced portions-- on the peripheries 1 15and, a shoulder-18 on the arm 16, against which shoulders the ends of the tubular rails 10 and 9 are respectively abutted; Inorder to preventdisplacement -rofthe rail 9 from p the arm 16 I provide a housing 19mounted in an opening 20 in the arm 16 in which aplunger 21 is arranged, said plunger being surroundedbya spring 22 confined in the hous-v ing 20"between one endthereofand the enlarged head 23 of the plunger, and'this'spring urges the enlarged head outwardly to seat the same in an opening 24 in'the tubular rail9;

Therefore, by'fo'rcing the "enlarged head 23 inwardly to disengage the samefrom'the opening 24 the rail 9 may be readily slid from the arm 16. A threaded opening- 25 is provided in the arm 15-preferably'on what will be the underside thereof when the corner structure is arranged in position for use, and

an opening 2 6 is provided in the rail 10 in 'align'menttherewi'th. A bolt 2'1 is extended 1throughthe opening 26 and threaded into the opening-25 toprevent displacement of therail from the arm 15-. 'The rail 10 is connected to the corner member 15 in the samemanner asth'at in which itis connectedto the corner member 14'and theflra'il 12 is similarly connectedfto thecorner members'13 and 16 The rail-9 is connected to the corner member 13 in 5 the same manner inwhich it i's'connected to the cornermember 14, and the rail 11 is similarly connected to the corner members 15"and 16. Depending fromthe corner member 14 i is a boss 28 having a threaded reduced portion on the periphery thereof onto which the leg 29 may be screwed sothat the upper end of i the leg will abut the shoulder 30; At the lower end of the leg 29 thereis a foot portion 31'preferably formed of rubber or other re- ;silient material.

nected to the corner piece 15 a leg 33 is pro 'vide'don thezcorner piece 16; and a leg 34 A similar leg 32 is conis provided on the corner piece 13; A common 7 manner of assembling the bed is to first attach the rails 10 and 12 t0 the corner pieces 14and 15', and 12 and 16, respectively. T The rails 9 and '10 will then be respectively con 'nected to the cornerpieces 13 and l6 and then these rails will be; connected to the corner pieces 14 and 15. Therefore, a rectangular frame will be defined which will support it in spaced relation with the floor on which it is rested by the legs 29, 32, 33, and 34. The area thus defined is then covered with a suitable textile 35, such as heavy canvas or the like, which has the corners thereof cut away to reduce the length of the respective side edges, and the side edges have hems 3G, 37, 38, and 39 therein. Extended through the hem 36 is a rod 40; a rod 41 is extended through the hem 37; a rod 42 is extended through the hem 38; and a rod 4L3 is extended through the hem 39. The respective ends of the various rods are preferably flattened and have openings provided therein to receive the ends of suitable coil springs. A coil spring 44 is disposed between the adjacent ends of the rods 40 and 43; a coil spring 4:5 is disposed between adjacent ends or" the rods Q0 and 41; a coil spring 46 is disposed between the adjacent ends of the rods ll and 42; and a coil spring 47 is disposed between the adjacent ends of the rods 42 and 43. These springs tend to draw the rods toward each other and thus tension the textile 35 so that the same will be taut between the rails of the frame. But by reason of the springs the textile covering will be yi'eldable and will therefore provide a comfortable bed especially adaptable for the uses heretofore set forth.

It has been pointed out that a bed constructed in the foregoing manner may be advantageously arranged for use as a stretcher and I therefore provide handles which may be located at the various corners of the frame. One of these handles is indicated by 48 and is in the form of a tube extended through a passage in the corner member 14: and the arm 15. In the inner end of the tube 48 a plug .9 is disposed which includes an en larged screw threaded head 50. A plug is secured in the other end of the tube and includes an enlarged screw threaded portion 51 and a knurled knob 52. The outer end of the passage 53, through which the tubular handle 4:8 is passed, is screw threaded and is engaged by the screw threads 51 when the handle is extended into the tubular rail 10. However, when the screw threads 51 are unscrewed and the tubular handle 43 is slid outwardly into the dottedline position shown in Fig. 3, the screw threads may be engaged with screw threads at the inner end of the passage 53 and therefore the handle e8 may be retained in this extended position, the knob 52 facilitating rotation oi the tube l8 to unscrew and screw the same in position. A handle similar to the handle l8 is extended through the corner member 15 into the tubular rail 10 and handle members similar to the handle member 48 are extended through the corner members 13 and 16 into the tubular rail 12. It is therefore manifest that a handle member is provided at each corner of the frame and thatthese handle members extend parallel to each other.

ll hen it is desired to launder the textile covering 35 or to disassemble the bed the various springs tt, i6, and 47 are disconnccted from one of the rods to which they are-connected and these rods are then withdrawn from the hems in which they are arranged and therefore the textile covering 35 may be readily removed. The frame may be disasseniibled by disengaging the rails 9 and 11 "from the corner members 14 and 15' by d'en'essing the enlarged head portions 23 and in a similar manner these rails may be disconnected from the corner members 13 and 16. After this has been done the rail 10 may be disconnected from the corner member i l-by removing the bolt 27 and it may be similarly disconnected from the corner member 15. In a similar manner the rail 12 may be disconnected from the corner members 13 and 16. It is therefore manifest that the rails may be arranged in side by side relation and will therefore provide a compact package. If desired, the legs may be disconnected "from the various corner members which will facilitate the storing of these nien'ibers. The rods 40, ll, 42, and 43 will also be arranged in side by side relation along with the rails and the corner members, and these parts may then be rolled into a bundle in the textile covering 35 and the various parts may therefore be arranged in a compact package, but it is manifest that the parts may be easily unrolled and the parts easily assembled as above described.

i i hcn the device is to be used solely as an animal bed the corner members may be arranged in the manner illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, and b. Herein a corner member 54 is shown which includes arms 55 and 56 substantiaily similar to the arms 15 and 16, re spec-tively, and the rails 9 and 10 are connected to these arms 55 and 56 in the same l111l11 as that in which these rails were'cond to the arms 15 and 16. Each of the corner members of this bed will be constructed in this manner and each will be provided with a leg in the same manner in which the former corner members were provided with legs. A textile covering member will be arranged thereon in the manner previously described and therefore, with the exception of the arrangement of the'corner members,

this bed will be substantially similar to the" one previously described. I

It is manifest from the foregoing description that l have provided a bed which may be expeditiously set up or taken down and that when taken down the bed may be arranged in a compact package. Furthermore, I have provided a bed which when set up will include a supporting portion formed from a suitable textile which will beyieldably retained in position and one which willtherefore be comfortable. Moreover, I have provided a bed wherein handle portions may be provided which may be concealed when not in use but which may be withdrawn and fixed in position when so desired. r

While I have illustrated and described a 7 preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the precise 10 details set forth but .desireto avail myself of such changes and modifications, as fall within the purview of the following claims:

I claim: i

1. A textile covering for a rectangular bed frame, comprising connected side and end rails, said covering comprising a textile sheet s adapted to extend over the side and end rails, extensions at each side and end edge of the sheet adapted to extend about and under the respective rails and inwardly toward the centre of the bed, each extension terminating in a hem, a rod in each hem, and resilient 1 tension means at eachcorner connecting the spaced adjacent ends of the rods thereat,

whereby the extensions are drawn inwardly and the fabric yieldingly stretched over the rails.

2. A textile covering for a rectangular bed frame, comprising connected side and end rails, said covering comprising a textile sheet adapted to extend over the side and end rails,

extensions at each side and end edge of the 4 sheet adapted to extend about and under the respective rails and inwardly toward the,

r 85 centre of the bed, each extension terminat ing in a hem, a rod in each hem, andresilient Y tension meansat'each corner connecting the spaced adjacent ends of the rods thereat, whereby the extensions are'drawn inwardly 40 and the fabric yieldingly stretched over the i Y rails, the said fabric being, cut away at the H corners of the bed defining the extension. I

' FRANK LOUIS MILLS. 

